Mare Balticum Gaming Summit 2018 – the Baltic and Scandinavian region

The inaugural edition of Mare Balticum Gaming Summit Riga will be held on the 8th of May at Astor Riga in Latvia. The Baltic and Scandinavian region provide a great wealth of knowledge when it comes to online gambling. The regulations in the region have been carefully adjusted and the current status of the markets show good investment potential. The ...

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Downtown Grand Las Vegas brings back the '20s for New Year's

The GRAND Gatsby celebration will bring the roaring '20s back to life with entertainment, a pub crawl and other swanky events.

VIP Junkets Return China’s High Rollers to Casinos in Macau, Australia, and Philippines

Junket groups are once again bringing high rollers from the Chinese mainland to VIP rooms and casinos floors in Macau, as well as to casinos in Australia and the Philippines.

The multibillion-dollar integrated casino resorts in Macau, as well as casinos in the other two countries, rely heavily on action from China’s ultra-elite. As People’s Republic President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption crusade extended in recent years to junket groups that transport such well-to-do clients to the gaming markets, traffic subsequently decreased.

But with signs that China’s anti-corruption drive is slowing, VIP junkets are resuming operations across Southeast Asia and Down Under. Analysts at Morgan Stanley said in a recent note that in addition to the anti-corruption crusade easing, a strong Chinese housing market, improved balance sheets and cash flows for junket companies, and their ability to provide credit to customers, is responsible for the resurgence.

“Our recent travels to Macau and feedback from industry contacts confirms that this growth … is expected to continue to grow further,” Morgan Stanley reported.

The VIP return, paired with Macau casinos catering more to lower-stakes mass market players, is why Morgan Stanley predicts gross gaming revenue to hit $53 billion for Macau by 2022. That would be an 18 percent increase on the gambling enclave’s record $45 billion haul in 2013.

Down Under Looking Up

Macau gross gaming win is up over 19 percent through October compared to 2016. But Australia’s casinos have gone in just the opposite direction, due in part to a rapid decrease in high-roller visitation.

Australian casinos saw their VIP revenues plummet by almost 50 percent in the fiscal year 2017. Crown Resorts, one of the country’s largest gaming and entertainment groups, was responsible for the much of the financial loss.

In 2016, 18 Crown employees were detained and later charged in China for committing “gambling crimes,” specifically marketing casino services towards mainland residents. The arrests, which included Crown VIP exec Jason O’Connor, shook up the Aussie casino conglomerate, and led to billionaires James Packer and Melco’s Lawrence Ho severing ties.

Morgan Stanley believes Crown has hit rock bottom. The global financial services agency is predicting between nine and 20 percent VIP revenue growth over the next 36 months for Packer’s company.

Suncity Rises Again

Suncity Group, one of the largest touring operators that charters Chinese VIPs to casinos in Macau, Australia, and the Philippines, has recently upped the ante on its operations.

Bloomberg is reporting that the junket company has been enticing rich clientele with chartered flights to marquee events that have little to do with gambling, such as Australia’s Kennards Hire Rally motorsport race, the Macau Grand Prix, and its own 10th anniversary party held in Manila.

Chau admitted, however, that the sports and entertainment events only boost betting volumes. “We don’t need to wait for Golden Week to have the Golden Week revenue,” he concluded.

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Among Las Vegas bettors, college football is gaining on NFL

Jimmy Vaccaro has spent four decades as a bookmaker watching money move through an increasingly lucrative sports market. He is, by necessity, an astute observer of the human condition ...

'A problem and a dilemma:' Nevada gaming committee tussles on marijuana’s future in casinos

The group of gaming leaders, politicians and attorneys made their opinions clear during the nearly five-hour public session, painting a hopeful picture for the plant’s future in ...

Jackpot elusive for three new upstate New York casinos

Three new upstate New York casinos have so far failed to generate the big payoffs they projected, meaning less money shared with towns, cities and counties. Slot machine and ...

State College Votes Against Pennsylvania Casino, Potential Sites Dwindling

State College Borough Council passed a resolution earlier this week that prevents a satellite casino from being built within the city’s limits.

The action comes as a result of Governor Tom Wolf (D) signing a massive gambling expansion package into law in late October that authorizes up to 10 so-called “mini casinos” in rural areas.

The satellite gambling venues would allow for up to 750 slot machines and 30 table games. But State College, which becomes the third largest city in Pennsylvania when the Penn State Nittany Lions play football games and pack over 100,000 fans into Beaver Stadium on fall Saturdays, wants nothing to do with gambling.

In a unanimous decision, the Borough Council approved the resolution to opt-out of the Category 4 casino host list. Municipalities have until December 31 to pass resolutions and notify the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board that they do not wish to be a part of the bidding process.

As of Monday, about 150 municipalities had opted out.

No… For Now

The State College Council says it’s simply protecting its future options by approving the resolution. Towns have the right to remove their Category 4 license ban at a later date, but not enact one.

“If we let this go and don’t pass it before the end of the year … we are stuck with a particular choice we may or may not want down the line. I would rather see how this works in other communities, then make a decision on it,” Councilwoman Theresa Lafer explained.

Pennsylvania’s 10 full-fledged casino operators will be able to bid on the satellite locations sometime in 2018. Minimum bids will start at $7.5 million, with the highest bidder taking the rural location of their choice (that hasn’t opted out). Operators will pay an additional $2.5 million on top of their bid to include table games.

Slot machines will be taxed at an effective rate of 54 percent and table games at 14 percent. Four percent of the tax revenue will be earmarked for the host community.

Casino at Nowhere Park

State College was seen as a preferred location for a satellite casino. The university keeps a constant flow of travelers visiting the rural central Pennsylvania town, and the football aspect is of course a major draw.

Having a legalized sports betting casino in State College with a top-ranked college football program presumably would have brought tens of thousands of visitors to the gambling venue each year. But for now, there will be no such establishment. Lancaster, another expected target for casinos, is also removing itself from the running.

It’s becoming slim pickings for gaming operators. However, a few preferred candidates remain, including Williamsport, Reading, York, and Altoona, with the three latter all being home to a Penn State satellite campus.

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South Point Hotel to host 2017 Challengers Cup Finals

The Las Vegas hotel, casino and spa will welcome the semi-professional drone racing world championship on 19 and 20 January.

Robert Hankins Vies for Ninth WSOP Circuit Gold Ring at Harrah’s Cherokee

Robert Hankins is eyeing WSOP Circuit gold ring number nine with his participation in the record-breaking $365 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed at Harrah’s Cherokee, which is the current host venue of the popular poker series.

Hankins bagged the second largest chip stack last night to secure himself with an excellent position for the start of Day 2 of the above-mentioned tournament. The player was one of the 17 survivors who made it through the day. Rick Drake was the player to scoop the largest stack at the end of the day. The player finished the event’s first day of play with a total of 890,000 and with commanding chip lead. As for Hankins, he collected a total of 671,000 at the end of the event’s first day to rank second in the chip counts chart.

The $365 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed or Event #4 on the schedule of the ongoing WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee is a two-day event. The tournament attracted a record-breaking field of 607 entries who generated a prize pool of $182,100. The money was split in 66 uneven portions, with min-cashes starting from $545.

The event’s structure allowed for speedy action, which eventually resulted in the original field being reduced to just 17 players. The remaining survivors will return to the host venue later today to battle it out to an eventual winner. The champion will receive the gold piece of WSOP Circuit jewelry and the amount of $36,346 in prize money.

Hankins Vies for Yet Another Title

It can be said without doubt that the Tennessee-based poker pro is among WSOP Circuit’s most prolific players in terms of gold pieces won from the series. As mentioned earlier, the player has won eight gold rings so far. He captured his first WSOP Circuit trophy back in 2010 when he took down a $230 No-Limit Hold’em tournament at Harrah’s Tunica.

It is interesting to note that it took him four years before taking down another Circuit event. The player won his second gold piece in 2014 and at the same venue he collected his first one. Hankins has been on a particularly hot streak since then, winning six more gold rings over the past three years and cashing in a number of WSOP Circuit tournaments.

To be more precise, the player has actually made 63 in-the-money finishes in WSOP Circuit events since the beginning of his poker career and has collected a little less than $650,000 in the process.

If Hankins wins a ninth gold piece today, he will tie with Alexandru Masek and Valentin Vornicu, who are the other two players to have collected that many gold rings. Here it is also important to note that Hankins will also be just a single gold ring behind the absolute record-breaker Maurice Hawkins.

Day 2 action of the Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em tournament is scheduled to kick off at 1 pm local time at Harrah’s Cherokee with 17 players hungry for quality poker action and a gold ring.

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Zitro experienced successful SAGSE game fair in Buenos Aires

Zitro is proud to announce the company’s great success at the last edition of the SAGSE game fair in Buenos Aires, marked a before and after in the Latin America region. The company is led by Johnny Ortiz and has been leading the Video Bingo market in Latin America for years, and since launching its new Video Slots brand Bryke ...

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Mohegan Sun to host multiple New Year's Eve celebrations

Guests can take their pick of a series of all-night bashes on 31 December at the Connecticut casino.

Macau Regulators Playing Cards for Casino License Renewal Close to Vest

While casino operators in Macau will need to start reapplying for their gaming licenses in the next few years, they shouldn’t expect any early indications of what the conditions for those renewals will be. That’s the word from Macau Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong Vai Tac, who says that the competitive nature of the gaming industry means the territory will want to keep its cards close to its vest.

According to GGRAsia, Leong spoke on Thursday in front of Macau’s Legislative Assembly to address the upcoming expiration of concessions granted to the six current casino operators in the Chinese gambling enclave. Those licenses will end on various dates between 2020 and 2022. Leong said that increased competition throughout Asia means that regulators in the market need to be careful about revealing information before it is necessary.

“Before we announce the new rules, we need to think about the appropriate time to do so, in order to guarantee the sustainable development of the [gaming] sector,” Leong said.

Regional Competition Prompts Discretion

The main concern appears to be the potential reaction from other jurisdictions in the region. If Macau were to start announcing their rules now, Leong said, then regulators in other regions might adjust their own policies to increase the competitive pressure on China.

Not surprisingly, current license holders might want information about standards and concessions sooner rather than later. Angela Leong On Kei, an executive director at SJM Holdings, recently urged Macau officials to announce their intentions so that the process could move forward more smoothly for interested parties.

Under the gaming laws of Macau, the government does have the ability to renew the current concession for up to five additional years. However, once these contracts expire, any new concessions can only be granted via public tender.

Macau Casino Regulation 2.0

While there is plenty of excitement over growing gaming revenues in Macau and across Asia, the hottest topic in Macau has been the impending licensing renewals, with both the government and casinos taking steps to prepare for the application process.

For some operators, that means pouring money into the city in order to make their properties as attractive as possible. Just last month, Las Vegas Sands announced plans to spend $1.1 billion to renovate and rebrand the Sands Cotai Central.

On the government’s side of the equation, Macau authorities have said that all aspects of the gaming sector will be re-evaluated before new licensing begins. The government’s goals could potentially include better regulation of junkets, as well as a push to increase mass market and non-gaming revenue generators.

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Portugal to Amend Online Gambling Law

Portugal’s government will review the country’s gambling laws in 2018, local media reported on Friday. The Iberian country regulated its online gambling market in 2015 and officially opened it for international operators in the summer of 2016, when the first online gambling license was issued.

Late last week, Portuguese lawmakers presented the budget plan for 2018. Among a number of other provisions, the plan also contains proposed amendments to the country’s Online Gambling Law. These are mostly concerned with the legalization of national and international liquidity for different iGaming and betting services.

Earlier this year, Portugal entered into a shared online poker liquidity agreement with France, Italy, and France. Said agreement will allow the country to merge its online poker player pool with those the other participating country.

Under the proposed amendments to the nation’s existing gambling laws, Portugal will be able to enter similar agreements for other online gambling activities. In other words, Portugal-facing operators , both gaming and sports betting, will be able to share their customer pools with fellow brands that are licensed by the local gambling regulator, Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ). What is more, Portugal-licensed operators will be able to merge their Portuguese player pools with the player pools in other regulated jurisdictions these hold licenses from.

If approved, the proposals included in the 2018 budget plan will be developed into a set of regulations by SRIJ in order to be able to be implemented. As reported by local media, a preliminary plan about the shared liquidity amendments has already been presented to the European Commission and has been received well by EU regulators.

Taxation Changes

Portugal’s new online gambling taxation regime has been the subject of bitter criticism since introduced more than two years ago. The country uses turnover as tax base as opposed to gross gambling revenue used by the majority of Europe’s regulated jurisdictions. This makes Portugal one of the most expensive jurisdictions for operators to provide their services in, and therefore highly unattractive.

The Remote Gambling Association has been among the most vocal opponents of the country’s taxation regime and has long been calling for changes in the way licensed operators are taxed. It seems that there will be certain changes indeed, but the established tax rates will likely remain the same.

At present, Portugal taxes sports betting operations at 16% on turnover, and casino operations, including online poker, at 30%.

The proposed amendments in the budget plan for 2018 call for certain changes in the tax on the so-called fixed-odds sports bets. Operators featuring such a gambling option will still be taxed on turnover, but the generated tax proceeds will be allocated in a manner different from the current distribution of the tax revenue generated from licensed gambling operators.

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Alabama, Miami Losses Upend College Football Playoff Odds

The odds for which team will win the College Football Playoff changed dramatically after a wild weekend where both Alabama and Miami were upset.

The No. 1 Crimson Tide lost to No. 5 Auburn, 26-14, while the Hurricanes were defeated by Pitt, 24-14.

Both were favored despite being on the road. Alabama was a five-point pick and Miami was a12-point selection. For Nick Saban’s team it was only the second time his squad wasn’t favored by more than 10 points. They were a 7 1/2-point choice in the opening game of the season against Florida State and won, 24-7.

Miami’s loss was more expected. The team had experienced difficulties away from home, winning its last two road games by four and five points. Coach Mark Richt does not believe his season is over despite the defeat.

“I still think there’s an awful lot to play for,” Miami coach Mark Richt said. “We have no idea what’s going to happen in the big picture.” 

Clemson is the new No. 1, followed by Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, and Miami.

Odds Reflect Chaos

Before Thanksgiving Day weekend sportsbooks had Alabama the solid favorite to win the national championship. They opened at 3-1 and with their dominance throughout the season they moved to 4-7.

But Westgate LV Superbook assistant manager Jeff Sherman dropped them to 4-1. They are joined by Oklahoma and Clemson and it is the first time this season the Crimson Tide have not been the sole favorite.

The Hurricanes had a drop as well. They fell to 15-1 after being 10-1 the prior week. They opened the season at 30-1.

Auburn shot up to 9-2 after opening at 25-1 and Ohio State and Georgia are at 7-1. Wisconsin, the only undefeated team remaining in the top 10, sits at 10-1 despite moving to No. 3 and receiving 10 first-place votes.

Championship Weekend

If the College Football Playoff Rankings committee follows the Associated Press Poll on Tuesday night the four teams that would be in the postseason would be Clemson, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Auburn. Alabama, Georgia and Miami would be hoping for losses to move up.

Which could definitely happen. Saturday is when conference championships are played and they could provide even more turmoil. Clemson will face Miami in the ACC Championship game on Saturday in Charlotte. The Tigers are a 9 ½-point favorite and the game could decide who goes to the playoffs.

The SEC Conference Championship on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will also likely put the winner in the top four when the final vote is cast on Dec. 5. Auburn will face Georgia and is a 2 ½-point pick.

The Big 10’s title game will have Wisconsin against Ohio State and despite Wisconsin the higher ranked team and undefeated, they are a 6-point underdog when the play Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Oklahoma will most likely get a spot if it defeats Texas Christian University when the two meet on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. The Sooners are a 7-point favorite.

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U.S. sports leagues hedging their bets on nationwide legal gambling

In court, all four major U.S. sports leagues are fighting New Jersey's challenge to the federal ban on sports gambling, which the Supreme Court will hear next month. Outside of court, leaders of three of the four leagues have made public comments that suggest they ...

French Online Gambling Regulator Urges Start of Shared Online Poker Liquidity Project

The French online gambling regulator, ARJEL, has reportedly contacted its Italian counterpart inquiring about the latter’s progress on the realization of the shared online poker liquidity project.

It was in July 2017 when the gambling regulatory bodies of France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal signed an official agreement that would allow them to merge their online poker player pools in a bid to improve the state of the game in the four countries.

Citing unnamed sources, Italian poker news outlet AssoPoker reported today that ARJEL is looking to materialize the shared liquidity project in early 2018, as it was agreed by the participating regulators upon signing their agreement.

It is believed that the shared online poker liquidity network will indeed be launched in the first months of 2018, with France, Spain, and Portugal merging their player pools. According to sources, Italy will be able to join the project later in 2018.

Here it is important to note that Italy is yet to open the bidding process for operators interested to renew their licenses from the local regulator and ones that are interested to enter the Italian gambling market. Country regulators were expected to launch the call for license applications in mid-September, but little information on the matter has been released since then.

France Calls for Timely Launch of the Project

As pointed out earlier, the shared liquidity project was expected to be launched late in 2017 or in the first quarter of 2018. Sources have told AssoPoker that France is keen on sticking to that timetable and that Charles Coppolani, the President of ARJEL, has been contacting the regulator’s partners in the endeavor asking where they are standing at in relation to its implementation.

According to different sources, France and Spain may become the first two countries to create a shared online poker liquidity network with Portugal joining shortly, and Italy entering the scheme when it copes with the consequences from the regulatory delays.

Another indication that the online poker network will first be launched in early 2018 and that not all countries that signed the July agreement would participate in that initial launch came from the owner of online poker brand PokerStars, The Stars Group (recently rebranded from Amaya).

During a conference call about the company’s financial results for the third quarter of the year, Financial Director Brian Kyle said that they will join the shared liquidity project and that the initial phase of the project might be released in early 2018. It is believed that PokerStars will benefit the most from the project, as it currently is the only operator to hold licenses in all four participating jurisdictions.

French online gambling operator Winamax has also been among those to express interest in joining the scheme. Currently, the company runs operations in its homeland only but has revealed plans to expand its footprint in order to be able to take part in the shared liquidity project.

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Enteractive signs Player Reactivation Service supply deal

Player retention and customer loyalty solutions specialist Enteractive has signed a deal to license its Player Reactivation Service innovation to online gambling operator Gaming Innovation Group Incorporated and its sites at Kaboo.com, SuperLenny.com and Thrills.com. Malta-based Enteractive stated that its Player Reactivation Service has been designed to ‘boost the reactivation of churned players’ through the use of one-on-one personal telephone calls that see trained agents speak with lapsed punters in order to understand exactly what they desire from their gaming experience. “Partnering with Gaming Innovation Group [Incorporated], an already established and growing operator, is a major deal for us and we’re excited to be an integral part of its customer relationship management strategy,” read a statement from Mikael Hansson, Chief Executive Officer for Enteractive. “Our service will enable Gaming Innovation Group [Incorporated] to significantly improve its bottom-line results by reactivating those lost users and helping them find their way back to Gaming Innovation Group [Incorporated’s] impressive portfolio of gaming sites.” Enteractive revealed that Gaming Innovation Group Incorporated is moreover set to utilize its Player Reactivation Service to target registered non-depositing players and endeavor to convert these into active users. It declared that this innovation is compliant with the socially responsible methods laid out by the Global Gaming Guidance Group and can flag vulnerable players before ensuring these are dealt with quickly and responsibly. “Since working alongside Enteractive, we’ve already seen a significant increase in the number of churned players becoming active again and using our products,” read a statement from Remy Hordan, Central Customer Relationship Management Head for Gaming Innovation Group Incorporated. “As well as improving our customer engagement with players to better understand their gaming experience, the service is also an invaluable tool in flagging vulnerable users, aiding us in our responsible gaming efforts. We’re thrilled by the early success and are excited to extend the solution across our other brands.”

How UNLV Researchers Are Helping Shape Rollout of Casino Gambling in Japan

The Japanese government is systematically moving forward, albeit slowly, with legislation that will authorize the development of integrated gaming resorts, a major change for a country that has long prohibited casino gambling. And researchers from UNLV’s International Gaming Institute are helping Japanese officials prepare to build the best gaming industry possible.

UNLV announced earlier in November that IGI Researcher Dr. Brett Abarbanel received a $289,000 grant from the US Chamber of Commerce to continue her project, “Socio-Economic Impact of the Integrated Resort in Japan and Evaluation of Nevada Gaming Regulatory Process to Eliminate Organized Crime in Las Vegas Casinos.”

It’s all part of a collaboration between UNLV and Japan, to help them formulate regulatory systems, set up programs that address problem gambling, and keep criminal elements out of an emergent casino industry.

“Japan is in a fortunate position,” said IGI Executive Director Bo Bernhard. “The government is asking all of the right questions, and the science behind the socioeconomic impacts of integrated resorts has improved significantly in the past 15 years, providing practical and powerful guidelines for many decisions.”

Earlier this year, a group of Japanese business leaders and government officials commissioned researchers at the IGI to give them guidance on how to best regulate integrated casino resorts. And earlier this month, those reports produced by Abarbanel, Bernhard, and Jennifer Roberts of the IGI, and Kahlil Philander of Washington State University, were made public.

Growth and Responsibility

The idea was to put together a comprehensive picture for Japan before they embarked on implementing large scale legalized gambling for the first time. Over the course of 100 pages in “Socio-economic impacts of Japanese integrated resorts – review and recommendations,” the UNLV team looked at how the Japanese government could balance the goals of growing a tourism market while simultaneously minimizing gambling’s social costs.

Among their recommendations was a call for creation of specialized law enforcement divisions for gaming investigations, and for the development of a national problem gambling council that would be “neutral” towards the gaming industry.

The report also considered previous research on the impact of different types of regulations, such as betting limits at casinos, and shared their conclusion that there was “limited information about the effectiveness of these programs in reducing harm.”

Lawmakers in the Japanese Diet have floated the idea of requiring entry fees for locals to keep problem gamblers away. However, the UNLV authors warned against this.

“Worryingly, admission fees likely increase the share of revenue from players with a gambling disorder,” the report stated. “We strongly discourage placing any constraints on the domestic market (either through visit limits or entry fees).”

Keeping Mob Influence at Bay

The second report from the IGI aimed to help Japanese officials understand how they could keep organized crime out of the gaming industry.

In Japan, yakuza mobsters currently have control of many Japanese gambling activities. But using Nevada as a model, researchers showed how Las Vegas managed to move away from a mob-controlled culture, and made several recommendations for licensing process and industry regulations to have proven effective at helping keep the casino business clean.

For instance, the authors said that the regulatory system should be able to “help perform police-level overt and covert criminal investigations,” and that casinos should be encouraged to engage in vigorous self-regulation to support such a system. Regulators should also have the power to impose sanctions against operators, and exclude people linked to organized crime from even entering licensed resorts.

The authors concluded that these steps and others would be necessary to ensure that Japan’s gaming industry could compete in the global market, which is why they contacted the academics who know this world best.

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In times of crisis, the gaming industry often calls this guy

Bo Bernhard, who leads UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, answers the “bat signal” for calls worldwide.

Bookmakers’ Hospitality to MPs Raises More Concerns in FOBTs Debate

The most recent figures about hospitality British MPs have received from bookmakers have raised additional questions and doubts whether participants in the debate over the controversial fixed-odds betting terminals have been presenting impartial and unbiased views on the matter.

The Independent reported today that Conservative MP Philip Davies has received a total of £4,354 in horse races tickets and hospitality from bookmakers since March. Most recently, the politician was treated to tickets to the York Races. The gift was courtesy of Ladbrokes Coral.

Mr. Davies is known to be one of the staunchest opponents of the now imminent crackdown on the so-called FOBTs. The UK Government announced in late October that there will be a reduction of the maximum bet the machines accept. At present, players can bet up to £100 every 20 seconds. The Government said that the maximum stake could be cut to just £2.

On the looming crackdown on the gambling machines, which have been blamed for a rise in gambling addiction rates, Mr. Davies said that the Government was simply trying to appeal to popular opinion and that there were far more addictive gambling activities than betting on FOBTs.

Fears over Conflict of Interest

While MPs who have been treated to hospitality from bookmakers have made due entry into the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, concerns have been voiced that their opinion on the FOBTs matter could have been influenced by the powerful gambling industry lobbyism.

It was estimated that Ladbrokes Coral, which operates the largest chain of betting shops with FOBTs in the country, could lose £450 million in gross gambling yield in 2018, if the maximum FOBTs stake is cut to just £2.

According to industry lobbyists, bookmakers will be forced to close shops and lay off staff as a result from the pending crackdown. It is also believed that smaller, independent bookmakers will have to shut down operations altogether.

A document obtained by The Guardian and published prior to the October 31 FOBTs debate showed that there were questions for MPs that represented viewpoints and arguments previously pushed by bookmakers and their lobbyists.

A spokesperson for Ladbrokes Coral has told The Independent that industry opponents have been carrying out a “McCarthyism type campaign” by trying to use the gifts made to MPs as an argument against the industry. The operator admitted to engaging with politicians in a bid to present them with a picture of the consequences of a FOBTs crackdown, the company representative went on to say, arguing that it granting hospitality to MPs has always been an open process and that all gifts have been registered as required.

The UK Government is currently into a 12-week consultation period during which it will receive and review input from all involved parties in the FOBTs debate. It will then announce by how much the maximum FOBT stake will be cut. The options before MPs are a reduction to £50, £20, or £5.

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Future Gaming Leaders Get Schooled at Casino Executive Boot Camp in Lake Tahoe

The current and future leaders of the global gaming industry descended upon Lake Tahoe last week for the Executive Development Program, a leadership training conference designed to help directors, executives, and government regulators keep pace with today’s fast-changing gambling world.

Held this year from Nov. 11-19 at Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino and Resort, the annual Executive Development Program (EDP) welcomed more than 50 students for an intensive series of seminars and presentations that takes industry movers and shakers and invites them to participate in study teams and analysis. Since it began in 1990, more than 1,300 gaming company executives have graduated from the program.

These are the people who presumably will be making decisions at their casinos that will shape the gaming experience of customers, and possibly setting standards for gaming venues around the world to follow.

Over the course of nine days, participants at the EDP gained expertise on topics ranging from casino marketing and strategic planning to crisis management and the social impacts of gambling. Recent events such as the Las Vegas mass shooting and the current state of the industry all played into the 2017 curriculum.

Esports and Crisis Response

Front and center this year were discussions about the growth of esports, and the difficulties casinos have found in efforts to connect with Millennials, who are showing a notable lack of interest in playing slot machines unlike generations that preceded them.

“Gamers will gamble if games are designed with them in mind,” Seth Schorr, CEO of the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas, said during a presentation on esports.

There also was particular interest this year in how casino staffs can prepare for and respond better to crises and tragedy in the future, with the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, forcing casino companies to rethink their approaches to security, high rollers, and crisis communications.

Alan Feldman, who as executive vice president of MGM Resorts has been closely involved in these matters on a daily basis, spoke about the importance of being open with the public as part of a thoughtfully managed response.

“Transparency is key, through high quality and honest communication,” Feldman said.

It wasn’t all serious business, however, for spudent at the special Lake Tahoe boot camp. There were fun and games as only the gaming industry could provide, including a poker tournament and an awards banquet to wrap up the conference.

Expert Faculty

Attendance at the EDP is determined by an application system, and is not something that anyone can just pay to attend. The cost is nearly $8,000 per student, and like applying to college or grad school, applicants must show their experience and potential in gaming and how they have something to add to the class discussions.

Bernhard is also the protégé of Bill Eadington, the economist who pioneered the field of commercial gaming studies and founded this event in 1990 and died in 2013.

Along with Bernhard, former Nevada state senator and Gaming Control Board chairman Mark Lipparelli served as a leader of a faculty that included academics and industry experts from numerous universities and casinos around the world. This year’s presenters and faculty included eight CEOs of gaming industry companies.

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Sports betting case could pay off for internet gambling

Internet gambling in the United States has been limited to just three states since it began in 2013, but it could soon get a big boost from an unlikely source: the U.S. Supreme Court. Some gambling industry officials, regulators and analysts think ...

Highlight Games Limited premieres new Soccerbet innovation

Specialist sports-focused games developer Highlight Games Limited has announced the debut of its new Soccerbet virtual sports innovation for desktop, mobile and retail operations. Established in 2014 and 25% owned by Swedish online gambling operator Cherry AB, Highlight Games Limited described Soccerbet as ‘an innovative take on virtual sports’ that utilizes actual game footage to offer ‘all the betting markets that sports fans have come to expect from the modern-day betting experience’. Highlight Games Limited stated that Soccerbet utilizes ‘decades of archived football highlights’ to combine six ten-second clips from individual matches spread across a number of seasons into a single minute-long package that is then presented to players. It declared that the innovation is ‘capable of slotting seamlessly into an operator’s sportsbetting or virtuals offering’ and is available in single game and league formats. Tim Green, Chief Executive Officer for Highlight Games Limited, proclaimed that ‘there is nothing else’ on the market like Soccerbet as its ‘combines real stars with real goals and real match action’. “Virtual sports has exploded in popularity over recent years but this product represents the next step in its evolution, combining traditional betting markets with our unique product and patent-protected display of archived action,” read a statement from Green. “Football is a language spoken by people all over the world and we are delighted to debut a game that speaks to the universal enjoyment of the game across the globe.”

Queensland’s Liberal National Party Opposes Sunshine Coast Casino Plan

Liberal National Party politicians from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast have promised to oppose any attempts for the construction of a casino resort in the region, local media reported. Their comments came after news emerged that representatives for Cambodian gambling operator NagaCorp visited the Sunshine Coast earlier this month to explore development opportunities.

A multi-million dollar project for the development of a new Central Business District is currently being carried out in the heart of Maroochydore. The complex will occupy a 50-plus-hectare site in the central part of the town and will include office buildings, a new city hall building, multiple dining, entertainment, and convention facilities as well as different residential and accommodation options.

In 2016, Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson brought forward the idea for the addition of a casino complex to the scheme. The official pointed out that a facility of this kind would create additional jobs for residents of the area and would boost international tourism numbers.

Local news outlet the Sunshine Coast Daily reported that LNP politicians have committed to preventing any casino project from being given the green light and have encouraged the Sunshine Coast City Council not to apply for a casino license.

Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie has revealed that LNP leader Tim Nicholls had assured him and other LNP MPs and candidates for the Queensland’s to-be-formed government that he would back any ban on the construction of a casino complex as part of the Maroochydore Central Business District project.

Mr. Bleijie has also urged the City Council to disclose details about the meeting with NagaCorp and about Sunshine Coast officials’ casino plans, if they have any.

The LNP politician has further dwelt that the construction of a casino could result in 1,000 slot machines being installed in the area in addition to the existing ones.

LNP’s Opposition to Great Keppel Island Casino Proposal

Party members have opposed another plan for the construction of a casino resort in Queensland. Sydney-based developer Tower Holdings has been looking for several years now for support to add a boutique casino to its project for an integrated resort on the Great Keppel Island along the state’s Gold Coast.

Members of the LNP and Labor parties have recently opposed the casino plan, while the One Nation party has voiced its support and has committed to doing its best to see the project completed. The Queensland state election took place earlier today and results are yet to be announced.

The new Government will have to determine whether new casino licenses would be issued to interested developers and where such developers would be allowed to build their resorts. The construction of integrated resorts with casino facilities has been seen as one of the activities that could help the state further boost its growing tourism industry.

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Firm becomes 1st in U.S. to offer online virtual sports betting

The company behind internet gambling website PlaySugarHouse.com has become the first in the U.S. to let gamblers bet real money online on the outcome of virtual sports events. Chicago-based Rush Street Interactive tells The Associated Press it has ...

Las Vegas’ New TV Ad Campaign, Like Sin City Itself, Has an Identity Crisis

“Visit Las Vegas.”

It’s not quite as compelling as “What Happens Here, Stays Here,” with the illicit sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll all that implies, that reigned as one of the most iconic ad campaigns of all time for 15 years.

Nearly two months removed from the October 1 shooting that left 58 country music concertgoers dead, it’s clear that the gambling capital of America hasn’t quite figured out how to repackage itself.

Titled “We Love Our Fans,” the latest television spot from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) tries to market the resilience of the Las Vegas’ spirit. But it seems to be leaving many underwhelmed.

Airing in Nevada and in key markets across the country, the advertisement is a montage of social media posts: Tweets, Facebook messages, and Instagram photos try to convey unity and strength for the Las Vegas community.

While the escalating (and almost morbid) piano background music perhaps adds a bit of emotion to the spot for some, others believe the commercial fails to resonate.

The production quality is also being criticized, as it doesn’t seem to be much more than what Facebook automatically generates for users’ “Friendversary” and “year in review” videos.

Along with Las Vegas canning its iconic “What Happens Here…” slogan after 15 years, MGM Resorts put aside its recently debuted “Welcome to the Show” marketing campaign that focused on its own non-gaming attractions. The parent company to Mandalay Bay, where gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire, had concluded its new commercial: “We are not in the hotel business. We are in the holy sh*t business.”

It hit social media just a few weeks before the tragedy, and took on a much more ominous, and obviously unintended, meaning afterwards.

Who Came Up with New Spots?

The official marketing organization of Las Vegas, the LVCVA sprung into action just hours after the October 1 shooting began. All paid media, including “What Happens Here, Stays Here” spots, ended at 10:30 pm that night. The agency went into crisis communications mode just 45 minutes later.

The LVCVA quickly brought in R&R Partners, the ad firm responsible for creating the iconic “What Happens Here” slogan.

Most public relations experts believe the marketing agency got it right when it released the #VegasStrong hashtag with two lines of copy that read, “We’ve been there for you during the good times. Thank you for being there for us now.”

While R&R posted the hashtag and copy lines on its website and Facebook page, it hasn’t shared the recent commercials being funded by the LVCVA, meaning the ad agency likely isn’t responsible for the spots. A search turned up no information on who is, either, which is unusual for a major new industry campaign.

Uninspirational

Even LVCVA’s main marketing webpage, VisitLasVegas.com, is leaving many underwhelmed. It seems the gaming mecca has gone from “Most Creative” to “Most Prosaic” in its latest copy choices. In fact, it’s so boilerplate for any tourist town anywhere across America, it almost makes you wonder if a human, as opposed to an algorithm, even wrote it.

The site’s landing page reads, “Las Vegas has so many entertainment, dining, shopping, nightlife, golf, and spa options, it can be tough to choose … That’s where we come in.” Zzzzzzzz.

For a major resort and gambling destination, most potential visitors, especially after the somewhat spicy and specific “What Happens Here…” campaign, expect more. Maybe a lot more. Ok, a whole lot more.

Here’s hoping that Sin City’s marketing thrust can get back to business before it bores everyone out of a trip.

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College Football Friday Showcases 15 Games for Fans

While Thanksgiving provides us with three NFL games, the day after the holiday has a buffet of college games with 15 of them on the television from morning running into the night.

The first game is Western Michigan at Toledo and kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. The final contest begins 11 hours later with UCLA hosting Cal.

In between there are rivalry games, major conference showdowns, Associated Press Top 25 teams and one team that is in the top four of the College Football Playoff Rankings.

Here is a look at some of the marquee match ups that will keep fans and bettors occupied for most of the day.

First Wave Features Miami

Texas Christian University vs. Baylor

The Horned Frogs are No. 10 in the country and earlier in the year was challenging to be one of the four teams in the college playoff. An upset loss to Iowa State, where they were a seven-point favorite, and a drubbing by Oklahoma ruined their chances.

They are still in line for a major bowl game and don’t want hapless Baylor ruining that. They are 24-point favorites to their Texas adversaries in a contest that stretches back to 1899 and is known as “The Revivalry.”

Miami vs. Pittsburgh

The No. 2 Hurricanes are listed third in the College Football Playoff Rankings and would like stay there. Pitt lost its chance to go to a Bowl game when it lost to No. 24 Virginia Tech last week.

The oddsmakers don’t think they will lose and have the Hurricanes a 14-point favorite.

Battle of Top 25 Teams

South Florida vs. Central Florida

This afternoon contest features two teams in the Top 25 and one of only four undefeated teams remaining. South Florida should have been without a loss as well, but the No. 22 squad was upset three weeks ago by Houston at home. The Knights have been perfect this season, but could still only manage to climb to No. 13 in the AP Top 25.

They are also on a four-game losing streak against the spread. They opened as a 9 ½-point pick against the Bulls, but the line has moved to 11. They are also motivated, having lost the last two meetings.

Virginia vs. Virginia Tech

The No. 24 Hokies haven’t lost to Virginia since 2004 and the sportsbooks don’t think it will happen this year despite being on the road. The team is a 7-point favorite and at some places it has moved up a half-point.

Some bettors believe it is a little low, since the Cavaliers have lost four of their last five games, including a 44-28 thrashing at Miami last week. VT won last week against Pitt, but is on a three-game losing streak against the spread.

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Dutch Lower House Gives the Nod to Temporary Gambling Tax Increase

The Dutch Lower House approved earlier this week the previously proposed temporary increase of the tax paid by regulated gambling operators servicing local customers, Dutch gambling news outlet GaminginHolland reported earlier today.

Dutch lawmakers previously called for a 1.1% increase in the existing gambling tax. This means that operators licensed by local gambling operators will be required to contribute a 30.1% tax. The new rate will be valid through January 1, 2019, or six months after the expected adoption of the country’s new gambling regulatory regime.

Members of the Dutch Lower House also voted on and rejected a proposal from MP Aukje de Vries that called for the duration of the temporary tax hike to be limited to a year. The Dutch politician and her party, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie), presented earlier this week the amendement to the gambling tax increase bill that included the above-mentioned limitation.

It is also important to note that the tax hike is part of the Dutch government’s larger tax package for 2018.

Current Gambling Taxation and Regulatory Regime and Proposed Changes

At present, all regulated operators servicing local bettors and players are paying a 29% annual tax. If the proposed tax increase is eventually implemented, and as seen it has a good chance to be implemented, operators will pay a 30.1% tax instead. Under the legislative proposal, which was approved by the Dutch Lower House, the 29% tax rate will be reintroduced six months after the enforcement of the Netherlands’ new gambling law.

It was determined by sponsors of the legislative proposal that Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gambling regulator, will need that six-month window in order to be able to make all the necessary adjustments in relation to the new regulatory regime in the Netherlands.

Dutch lawmakers have previously commented that the new gambling laws could finally be implemented on July 1, 2018 after multiple delays. Among other things, the new law is expected to regulate the provision of online gambling in the country and to allow for interntional operators to apply for an iGaming license from Kansspelautoriteit.

Earlier this year, the regulator introduced a new set of rules that basically made it impossible for unlicensed online gambling operators to target Dutch players and provide their services to them. The Netherlands Gaming Authority explained that it had decided to undertake that move in order to remind violators of the country’s gambling laws that online gambling was illegal in the country and that all breaches would be sanctioned in due manner.

The Dutch Lower House approved last year a bill that would change the legal status quo in the counry and permit the licensed provision of online gambling services, but the Senate is yet to vote on the piece.

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Hundreds Prosecuted for Minor Gaming Violations at Colorado Casinos

If you happen upon a slot machine that still has a few credits left on it, you might feel like you’ve earned an unexpected bonus as you press the button. But if you’re in a Colorado casino, you might actually be earning yourself a criminal record in the process.

According to a report by KDVR, a FOX television affiliate in Denver, hundreds of casino patrons have been cited or arrested under a little-known Colorado law since 2012. In Gilpin County, site of the Golden Gates casino and several others in the town of Black Hawk outside of Denver, 469 customers have been arrested for gaming violations, with at least 78 receiving jail sentences.

And many of those the result of a strict interpretation of a Colorado law that directs the Division of Gaming to investigate all situations where one casino customer takes money that belongs to another.

Overzealous Prosecutions

While those investigations are important in preventing theft, the KDVR report highlighted situations in which players were being charged with crimes over issues of a couple dollars or less in abandoned slots credit.

Nothing happened at the time to suggest he had done anything wrong. But the next time Dan showed up to play, he was approached by casino security and state gaming enforcement officers. They escorted him to an upstairs room where he says he was told that he stole $2 from the casino.

Criminal-Minded?

Dan ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fraud, which came with a deferred sentence and the opportunity to have his criminal record sealed. He also had to pay more than $250 in fines, accept a one-year ban from casinos, perform 24 hours of community service, and pay for his background check and probation services.

In another case uncovered by KDVR, a man named AJ Werling ended up with a fraud conviction after playing 76 cents that had been left on a machine that he had also put $20 of his own money into.

“I’m not a criminal,” Werling said. “It’s ridiculous. It’s 76 cents.”

Most jurisdictions have laws that allow casinos to claim abandoned slots credits. In 2011, Nevada passed a law that allows casinos to keep just 25 percent of found money, with the remainder going to the state treasury.

According to gaming expert John Robison, casinos vary on how aggressively they prosecute those who skirt these rules by playing “found” credits themselves, with more traditional gambling hotbeds such as Atlantic City and Las Vegas being more forgiving than some newcomers to the industry.

Of course, if you let someone else play your credits, all bets are off. Earlier this year, Florida gambler Jan Flato lost out on a $100,000 jackpot after he allowed a woman he had recently met to push the button that set off the winning spin. As the button-pusher, she was able to claim the entire jackpot for herself, which she chose not to share with Flato, who was simply out of luck.

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Pennsylvania borough remaining open to hosting a satellite casino

Although several communities in Pennsylvania may be considering whether to officially opt out of the possibility of hosting one of the state’s coming satellite casinos, it is a different story in Indiana County where one local council is reportedly eager to cash in on the hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenues any such gambling enterprise could bring. According to a report from The Indiana Gazette newspaper, leader’s for the rural county’s Indiana Borough began discussions on Tuesday about the possibility of welcoming one of the new casinos although it is unclear whether any developer has so far expressed an interest in bringing gambling to a community of only 14,000 residents. Last month saw Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf approve expanded gambling legislation that permits the eastern state to license a maximum of ten new satellite casinos offering up to 750 slots alongside 30 gaming tables. However, the move was not universally popular and municipalities have been given until the end of the year to officially eschew the possibility of hosting one of the coming venues. Brad Gotshall, Manager for Indiana Borough, reportedly told the newspaper that it made sense from a business standpoint for his community to remain open to hosting a satellite casino as every one of the new slots is to be subject to a 4% gross revenue tax while the duty for gaming tables will stand at 2%. He purportedly explained that half of this amount will subsequently be set aside for host communities and could well equate to high six-figure sums every year. Although boasting a small population of around 89,000, Indiana County sits only about 34 miles from the 306,000 residents of Pittsburgh while the wider metropolitan area has some 2.6 million inhabitants. The legislation signed into law by Wolf on October 30 prohibits any of the new satellite casinos from being located within 25 miles of an existing gambling venue and would moreover exclude any community in nearby Allegheny County and neighboring Armstrong County from serving as a host.

Renowned Chandelier bar refreshed to fit in with other changes at Cosmopolitan

The Chandelier bar, the crystal-festooned centerpiece of the Cosmopolitan, has received a few upgrades recently, a facelift that management says blends it with other ongoing tweaks at the resort over the last few years. The eye-catching strands of crystals that give the multilevel lounge its distinctive theme aren’t going away, but the changes include new furniture, colors and ...